Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-02-09
PROTECTION.

ton are always with Us, and their actual
merits are much more easily ascertained at
times when there is no public excitement
and when men are least affected by partisan
bias than in the heat of political cam
paigns. The republican party is for protec-
tion-for tariff not simply for revenue.
but so ad iusted as Ia protect American indus
tries; while on the other hand, the demo-
cracy are either outspoken for free trade,
NJ declare for tariff for revenue only, or
| for revising. reforming and horizontalizing
] the tariff. The least that can be
l said about democrats in congress is
| that they are forever tinkering at
,he tariff and, therefore, continually
! alarming and disturbing the producing in
terests affected by their operations, and
thereby deranging the trade and commerce
of the country. 1t must be said that there
are republicans who are tariff reformers,
but they are few and far between, and not
| infrequently vote the democratic ticket.
They are mostly students and theorists and
their heads are filled with fine sophistry,
handed down from other centuries, and
slightly warmed over. They are not prac
tical men.
Free traders assume to have great deal
Of knowledge: that is, they are very
knowledgous: and they assume to have
high degree of morality-as do English
free-traders when they are lecturing Amer
leans. Now these assumptions are As thin
as air. There is no morality involved.
Questions of right and wrong are not
factors. The United States has plain
right to put on tariffs that are prohibitory,
if her government finds that it would be
necessary 10 do SO in order TO protect the
interests of our people. The government
of Great Britain kept high tariff on wheat
until her starving working people arose in
their might and demanded and enforced the
repeal of the corn laws. 1t wasn't change
of sentiment on the principle involved-nor
was 1t the consideration of questions of
right and wrong-but of the actual needs OF
the people-that made of Great Britain a
free trade country. Were the circum-
stances similar here we should adopt free
trade for the protection OF our people-but
they are not. We are a producing people.
We export grain. pork. machinery.
cotton and wooden fabrics, car
pets, and thousand and one
products; and. as matter of course-this
being the fact-we can supply our own
needs and therefore need not suffer if i'm
portation were entirely shut off. We could
easily-in case of a foreign war that should
close our ports-find something hot to
drink instead of tea and coffee. and subSist
entirely on our own agricultural and manu-
factured products. We can. therefore ad
just taxes on imports to suit our own con-
venience and in such manner as to pro-
mote our own interests. That is precisely |
what Great Britain and all other govern |
ments do and have a right to do. If tariffs /
promote their interests they have tariffs. |
but if not. they have free trade. Therefore
republicans assume to protect the American
farmer and the Aperican manufacturer
against a destructive and Oppres-
Sive competition from abroad.
and when We protect the American
and the American farmer we
protect the men employed in their work
shops or on their broad acres for they are
given an opportunity of earning their sub
sistence; and by the application of this
general system of protection the industrial
of the country is greatly pro-
noted.
Some articles can be brought here from
Europe and sold at lower prices than those
We pay here-although We might be cheated
in quality if we bought them. But they are
cent here because they are produced by
means of pauper labor-and republicans
are determined that the competition grow
ng out of pauper labor in Europe shall not
introduce pauper labor system here.
Furthermore. republicans are opposed to
he direct importation of paupers from
Europe. America is a world in itself. Its
broad acres, from the extreme south to the
irozen north-and from the Atlantic to the
Pacific coast-produce the cereals and fruits
If temperate and tropic climes-and we
iare-as our products-almoSt every variety
If the products of the world; and We man
fracture everything that people can put on
heir persons and in their houses. We are
n position. therefore, to protect ourselves
Our manufacturers and our workingmen,
mi the principles and policy of the repub-
lean party are pledged to this. The
epubiican party, therefore. represents
eally and truly the industrial interests #
he country and if. as result of this. has
armed the support of the workingmen of
america.